Winner: Every Student Succeeds Act
The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, a reauthorization of the LBJ-era Elementary and Secondary Education Act, late last year was hailed as a "Christmas miracle" by President Barack Obama because of the rare bipartisan victory it represented for both parties in Congress. For much of 2016, the K-12 world was focused on preparing for fall 2017, when the new law is set to replace the much-maligned No Child Left Behind Act—and there's no shortage of changes coming with the new law.
Returning a significant amount of power to state and local officials, the law notably calls for a scaling back of standardized testing, expanding preschool access, more state control of accountability standards and teacher evaluation processes, and new rules around Title I spending. There has already been pushback against the Department of Education during the rulemaking process for the law, though the department will likely see a diminished role regardless under the incoming Trump administration.
While an uptick in focus on the benefits of SEL and virtual reality in classrooms were also obsessions for many, nothing dominated conversation this year quite like ESSA.
Other nominees: 3D printing and makerspaces, social-emotional learning, virtual reality, unlearning
Policy of the year
Winner: Transgender bathroom regulations
Though the Every Student Succeeds Act was also a contender for this category, it was perhaps equaled by debate around the Obama administration's contentious guidelines over transgender bathroom access in schools.
All together, a total of 21 states sued the administration over threats to funding for noncompliance with the directive, arguing that protections under the Civil Rights Act and Title IX don't extend to transgender individuals as written. The Supreme Court is now set to decide on the casewhen it hears the appeal of Virginia's Gloucester County School Board against Gavin Grimm, a transgender student who is fighting for the right to use the boys’ bathroom.
Whether they'll decide before President-elect Donald Trump and a fully GOP-controlled Congress can appoint a new justice, or how those factors will influence the decision of the court's more centrist judges, leaves the outcome in question—though the regulations are unlikely to be upheld.
Other nominees: Every Student Succeeds Act, efforts to mitigate school-to-prison pipeline, focus on chronic absenteeism for first time in Civil Rights Data Collection
Legal battle of the year
Winner: Standardized testing opt-out movement
While it wasn't a legal battle with an actual court case, the standardized testing opt-out movement is in prime position to move to that level.
Under the movement, a number of parents have chosen to opt their children out of annual state standardized exams, which were increasingly tied to school grades and teacher evaluations under the No Child Left Behind Act and the Obama administration. The numbers rose so high in some states, like New York, that the Department of Education has threatened funding penalties for schools without 95% participation. How changes to exams under the Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as the Trump administration's approach to education, impact the movement will likely help opt-outs remain a hot topic over the next two years at least.
Other nominees: McCleary, et al. v. State of Washington; Vergara v. California; Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association et al.; Gloucester County School Board v. G.G.; The People of the State of California v. K12 Inc.; United States v. Texas
Best investment
Winner: Early childhood/pre-k programs
Perhaps the biggest investments highlighted in K-12 in recent years have been 1:1 device programs. And while tech can benefit classroom instruction, its influence is arguably not as far-reaching as another increasingly popular K-12 investment: preschool.
There's plenty of research showing the benefits of pre-k. According to one recent study from the American Institutes for Research, for example, children who attended center-based care the year before starting kindergarten performed better—with improved learning approaches, more cognitive flexibility and better math scores—than peers who did not. This correlates later to better student success down the road, additionally reducing the need for special ed for many students.
Under ESSA, pre-existing Preschool Development Grants designed to “support coordination and alignment of states’ early learning systems” and “expand access to preschool” will become permanent. And states will also be required to align academic standards with relevant early learning guidelines, allowing districts to use Title I funding to expand access to early education.
Other nominees: 1:1 device programs, social-emotional learning curriculum, restorative justice disciplinary models, ELL support
Biggest miss
Winner: Making teaching more appealing as a career field
For much of the past year, observers have lamented K-12's lack of status as a key topic in the presidential race. But, as some have argued, education's localized nature doesn't always lend itself to national debate or direct impact via voting.
In an era of major teacher shortages for many districts, the biggest miss is more likely the lack of effort put into making teaching more appealing as a career field. This effort could have arguably been done in the Every Student Succeeds Act. It could have also been done when the Department of Education issued new regulations for teacher prep programs.
Overall, low pay and a fair amount of teacher blaming from officials like former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and members of the ed reform movement have contributed to making the profession less than desirable. Solving part of that equation will require additional funding for raises—though it's unlikely anyone is holding their breath on that front.
Other nominee: K-12 education as topic in presidential race.
Reposted from EducationDive.com
Reposted from EducationDive.com
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